Locking mechanism for directional gyroscopes



2 1 L. FIBEACH ET AL I 2,

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPES Filed Jan; 7., 1544 Y -Sheet 2 INVENTORS -JLENNOX E BEACH, l -,,ORLAND E. ESVAL,und "BRT'HUR w. LANE;

THEIR 1M Patented Aug. 27, 1946 memwemcmiigfifi it Dnitenem GYROSCOPES Len'nox F. Beach, Port Washing-ton Orland Es'val, Huntington, and ArthuriWz Lane; .R'oosee velt, N. Y., assignors to SperrygGyroscope Com pany, Inc., a corporation of New-York Continuation of application. See! No; 4595304; September 26; 1 942, which .is a, division'ofap plication Serial No: 431,704; February- 20, 1942i This 'application January 7, 1944; Serial No.

p Y Glaim's; ((31. 74-5)? I invention generally relatesto an improvenozzles 26 and 21 mounted onthe rotor nearingment intlo'cking mechanisms-(for gyro instruments case, Fig. 1. The jetsare' directed"againstfverandzisiparti'cular lyi directed to the novel subjecttical knife'e'd'g'e bafilesZB' and' 2 9 on'the vertical matter: in this connection divided from our coring 6, the knife edges normally' bisecting theiiets pending application Serial- No. 431,704; fil'ed' from the nozzlesw-h'en the rotor caseisgin 'a February 1942', for Directional gyroscopes; leveled position. In'the event'of':inclination of' "The-{present eapplica'tion is ar continuation of the" case from alevele'd position, a: torque is divisional application Serial No; 4259;804; filed exerted'by one of the jets about the vertical axis September 25',.1942, for'lio'cking-mechanisnis for of'the ring to restore the case to'a normaldeveled directional lgyroscop'eso- V ovposition. V M

The novel fea;tures.anddetailsof the invention With reference'to Figs. 1 and 3', we prefer to willabesapparentirom the followin description employ in connection with this' directionalsgyroe when;readtinhrel'ationv with the accompanying scope a disc-shaped vertical"compass cardfindit drawingsywiherein I cator 401 Said .cardiissshown'in the for 'of at Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a directional gyro 5 flatidisc having teeth' dl on 'itszperiphery' 'oith'a'tv t me t. in which LtheQpresent' improvements itmaybe resetifrom "a setting knob 42, anthers: are:incorp,orated;- inafterdescrib'edx. Disc 40"is clampedo'nia hub; Fig; 2.is-: an elevation view, :par'tly in section, 43 which in turn iisssecure'd to 'a shaft? jourtakenatrrightangleslto'Fig;'1; and naled in the forwardxpartof theinterior of the Fig. 3-,is a;horizont'a;l section taken on" 1m 20 casing l in at fixedthollow' bushing 45. A'icrown 3---3,;in Fig'.11.v v i gear 46' is imounted, through .arslipfri'ction comv '.'I'he;instrumentin.zwhichfthisinventi i i11u nection, on the inner or opposite end .ofLshaftx trativelysemb'odiedasishown in the drawings is 44.: The crown gear'isrotated byatcomplem'ene l ane'lectricallm spun :dire'ctional g-yroscopelofthe ry' oroWn or'bevel gear 41 secureditto' thelbase type;which may Qr-may not-be slaved to or con- 25 .of .thevertical ring. 6,'so that'as relativeiangulan" trolled-from,aremot magneticfcompass, Hb azimuthal displacement offthe outer casing l and; ever,youriimproved'locking;device is applicable gyroscope O c the Card Will! rotate through? to; other types: of gyroscopes. The illustrated.- the same angle. I

gyro instrument includes: an outer casing.l'-hav-' v,Insorderto resetrthe compass card or indicate ing;a. shock.mcunting fr 511 i a .v 30.-ing disc 40, it is preferred to lock th 'rotorrbearventional verticalring orrother gimbalfi'is mounti Case 1 t e y Deabout its axis defined edfor movementaboutna. vertical axis by means by trunnions 8 and 9 at the time: .thegcardeis'; of the respective upper and lower trunnions' z reset-l For this purpose; the in knob: 42;. and 3v which are journaled. in suitable bearings igs onstructed So that it may; be. p e (not shown) in" the; frame. Ring 6 also sup 35. inwardly pe t to cas ng I. and also be" t -the rotor; bearing: case: or frame 7' of therotated to reset the card. a The knob 42-is shown gyro instrument with freedom of movement about as secured to-a shaft '48- whichJs-slidabh' an aghorizonta'l axis, this mounting being provided rotatably a ed n be ng fi, ,59, in suitable"v byjjtpunnions'a and gextending. from the case mounting structure within the outer casing and. suitable bearings (not: shown) in the oppo- 40 A pinion 5| is monuted. to rotate with the shaft sitelegs'ofltherring. The gyrorotor (not-shown) 48 by means of an engaging cross pin.52 and isr suitably journaled within the rotor bearing slot 53 construction. A limited axial movement case; th'e 'spin axis oflthe rotor being normally of the pinion 5| along the shaft 48 is permitted disposed at right angles to both the vertical axis y s o s t n, b t e p n s yie l ofthe ring '6 and the horizontalaxis of the case held against such movement by meansof a-"coil 1; The ;gyro'rotoriispreferably splm by means spring- 54 contained Within an Opening atone" of a suitable polyphasemotor (not shown) which end of the-same. One end of the coil spring54. ismenerg-ized from a suitable source of electrical bears against the internal wall in the opening; energyby Way of a number of currentconduct- Within the pinion, and the other endbears against ingsubstantially frictionless trunnion pivot strucv a 011088 p n 55 Which e te ds gh t e shaft tures =as particularly described in the parent ap- 48. As the knob 42 is moved inwardly, the; teeth plication. v on the pinion 5| are brought into-engagement The yro case I i h wn as pn matically. with the teeth on the-disc 40, butin the event leveled, inthe present instance fby means ofiair thatlthe teeth do not properly. engage at first-p; jetsrwhich issue from the tangentially directed 65, the spring 54v permits therpinionii to yielduntil collar 51 on the inner end of the shaft 48 and. a groove 58011 the side of the'rack bar. The' teeth on the rack bar 56 mesh with a. gear sector 58, Figs. 2 and 3, on a ring 60 whichis rotatably mounted below the verticalring supporting structure for the gyroscopic instrument. The ring 60 is shown as having a number of circumferentially spaced inclined slots 6| therein into each of which projects a radially extending pin 62 situated on a smaller ring 63 concentrically mounted within said ring 60; Rotating movement of the ring 63 is prevented by an extending portion of the respective fixed pins 62 therein in a like number of spaced vertical slots 64 containedin-the periphery ofa fixed base 65.

.Ringil is mounted forli ited rotationandthe 7 ring 6,3;iss1idably but non-rotatably mounted to move-relative to the ring 6]. The ring 63 in- .25

bludes 'means therein in the form of pins 62 for. engaging the inclined slots in the ring: 6

V v 4 V the frame is mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis, means for locking th frame from pivotal movement comprising a sector gear" fixedly mounted on said frame and anormally in- I effectively positioned toothed piece movably "mounted on said vertical ring, and means for moving said toothed piece to an effective locking 1 position in which the piece engages the sector gear.

2 A locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1,

which includes a yielding element interposed between the toothed piece and the means for mov- 1 ing the same.

3. A locking mechanism for directional gyroscopes comprising, in combination; a gyro rotor, a

bearing frametherefor, a vertical ring on which the frameis mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis, a casing in which the ring is mounted to pivot about a vertical axis, means for locking the I normally ineffectively positioned toothed-piece:

It will be seen therefore, that rotation of the outer ring 60 by rack 56 will lift the innerring 63. As said ring 63 is Iifted Fig. 1, it engages the lower end of a vertically positioned pin 66-which is slidably mountedin the vertical ring 6. The

upper end of pin 66 is indicated as engaging a ,curved leaf springli'l secured to a pivoted rack 68. VNormally, rack 68 is disengaged from a gear. isector69 suitably secured to the exterior of the bearing case I, but when the pin 66. is lifted, the teeth of the rack 68 engage. the gear sector .69 to thereby lock the-gyroscope about the horizontal axis of the same defined bytrunnions 8 and 9; The spring 61 serves to prevent damage to the teeth of the engaging rack and sector in the, event that the same do not mesh properly when initial contact between the parts is made. contact of pin 66 and ring 63 constitutes a slip friction lock for the vertical ring 6 ofthe gyroscopic instrument; that is, the friction between The the'pin'66 and ring 63 opposes turning'of the vertical ring but 'does not rigidly lock the same, gthereby lessening the strain on the. parts during the caging operation. r

It will be noted that according to the present :invention, the gyroscopic instrument is locked iabout the horizontal axis but is not manually reset about its vertical axis, the card 40 only of the instrument being manually reset without efafecting movement of the rotor bearing case be- 1 cause of the slip friction mounting of th gear 46, the frictionbetween the stationary ring 63 and the vertical ring 6 through the pin 66 being much greater than the aforesaid friction of the mounting of the gear 46 on its hub at the time that the ring 63 is lifted during the resetting operation.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scop thereof, itiis intended that all matter contained in the What is claimed is:

frame from pivotal movement comprising a sec-' tor gear fixedlymounted on said.frame;and. a

movably mounted on said vertical ring, an axially movable pin for actuating said toothed piece to an effective engaging position with said sector gear,;

and means for simultaneously moving'said'pin axially and engaging the same to'effectively lock the ring from pivotal movement. Y 1

4. A locking mechanism as claimed in claim 3 in which the toothed piece is a rack which is r pivotally mountedon thev vertical ring.

5. A locking mechanism as claimed in claim 3 which includes ayielding element interposed between the toothed piece and the axially movable pin."

6. A locking mechanism for directional gyroscopes comprising, in combination, a gyro rotor,

a bearing frame therefor, a vertical ring on which the frame is mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis,' a casing in which the ring is mounted to 'pivot about a vertical axis, means for locking the frame from pivotal movement-comprising a sector gear fixedly mounted on said frame and a normally ineffectively positioned toothed piece movably, mounted on said vertical ring, an axially 'movable pin for actuating said toothed piece to an effective engaging position with said 'sector gear, an axially movable annular member, 00- axially positioned withrespect to the ring, for: simultaneously engaging 'said' pin .to'effectively 7 look the ring from pivotal movement'and: move the pin axially, and means for actuating said' annular member. 7 l V v 7 V '7 A locking mechanism for directional gyro scopes comprising, in combination, a gyro rotor, a bearing frame therefor, a vertical'ring on which the frame is mounted to'pivot about a horizontal axis, means for locking the frame from pivotal movement comprising a gear mounted coaxially with respect to the axis'of the frame and a'normally ineffective meshing piece therefor. movably mounted on the vertical ring, and means for' moving said meshing piece to an effective locking l. A locking mechanism for directional gyro- 'l position with the gear. 1

8. Locking means for gyroscopes comprising the combination with an outer casing, a rotor bearing frame mounted for oscillation about an axis therein, a ring mounted for limited rotationin said casing and having. inclinedslots therein, a

concentric ring slidably but .non-rotatably mounted within said first ring and having means for engaging said inclined slots, a setting knob for rotating said outer ring and thereby lifting the I inner ring with respect thereto,--andlocking meanslifted 'by -saidiimer ring" for engaging said frame to lock the same against oscillation about said axis.

9. Locking means for gyroscopes comprising the combination with an outer casing, a rotor bearing.

frame, a gimbal ring journaled in said casing for turning about an axis and within which said frame is journaled for oscillation about a second axis, a ring mounted for limited rotation in said casing about the axis of said gimbal, a concentric ring slidably but non-rotatably mounted within said first ring and having inter-engaging means between said rings to lift the same on rotation of said outer ring, a setting knob for rotating said outer ring and thereby lifting the inner ring with respect thereto, and means slidably mounted in said gimbal and adapted to be engaged by said inner ring when lifted for locking said frame against oscillation about said second axis and for frictionally opposing turning of said gimbal about said first axis;

10. Looking means for gyroscopes comprising 6 a the combination with an outer casing of, a rotor bearing frame, a gimbal ring journaled in said casing for turning about an axis and within which said frame, is journaled for movement about a second axis, a ring mounted for limited rotation in said casing about the axis of said gimbaLa concentric ring slidably but non-rotatably mounted for movement relative to said first ring,

inter-engaging means between said rings to lift the slidable ring on rotation of said first ring, a

setting knob for rotating said first. ring and there-' by lift the slidable ring with respect thereto, and 

